Take Me Out to the Ball Game
by rhymenocerous
Summary: The NYPD and the FDNY are having their annual charity softball game and Lindsay wants Danny to play. Will she finally get a chance to see him play the game he loves? More importantly, will she finally get to see him in his uniform? M for eventual smut.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Here's another story that's been hiding on my hard drive for months. I started writing it after the episode last season where Danny starts to spout off about baseball and it sort of began to percolate slowly in my brain until I finally began to jot down ideas. I kind of forgot about it in all the hustle and bustle of the past few months, but I was going through some of my files and I came across it.**

**It's going to be a short, multi-chapter fic. I promise it won't go on and on forever and the next chapter is well on its way to being finished. But I wanted to put this one out there first and see if there was actually any interest in seeing where this one goes.  
><strong>

**Takes place probably around the end of season six... although I'm pretending that the whole missing badge, Shane Casey thing isn't looming over them and that at this particular moment in time, life is good for the Messer family.**

**That's enough from me. Shutting up now. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"Oh my God. I've died and gone to heaven," Stella sighed, stretching out her long legs in front of her and toeing off her sandals. She turned and grinned at Lindsay who had settled down on the blanket beside her. "I mean look at this place! We're surrounded not only by hot cops, but even hotter firemen!"<p>

Lindsay chuckled at Stella, shaking her head and pushing her sunglasses up her nose. The two of them had found a prime viewing spot for the 2nd Annual NYPD vs. FDNY Charity Softball Game and Inter-Departmental Barbecue. They had both come to support their side, some of their co-workers and friends having been dragged into playing for the NYPD, but Lindsay had a sneaking suspicion that for Stella it was little more than a great excuse to watch a bunch of hot, sweaty guys running around and showboating their skills in an age-old display of masculinity.

As for Lindsay, she was here for one hot, sweaty guy in particular; Danny was the NYPD's secret weapon, having been a star player all through high school and into college before being side-lined by an injury. He had balked at the idea at first, saying that he wasn't into it. But probing deeper, Lindsay had discovered that it wasn't that he didn't want to play – far from it, actually. She remembered their conversation clearly. She'd brought the topic up at dinner a few weeks ago…

-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-

"_Hey, did you see that poster in the break room today?" Lindsay asked as she passed Danny the salad. _

"_Hmm?"_

"_That poster… the inter-departmental softball game against the firefighters," she said. "Come on, Danny. You must have seen it!" He simply glanced up at her and shrugged his shoulders. "Well… are you going to play?"_

"_Nah," he said with a mouth full of chicken. "I don't think so."_

"_What? Why not?" Lindsay was shocked. Danny loved baseball. For years he'd practically lived and breathed the sport until he'd had to give up his dream of playing professionally. _

"_I just don't want to. I don't feel like it."_

_She waited for him to elaborate, but he determinedly avoided her gaze, instead focusing his attention on his meal. Finally, Lindsay couldn't take it anymore._

"_Why don't you want to play?"_

_He sighed, setting down his fork and leaning back in his chair. "Seriously, Linds? Can't I just not want to do something?" he asked with a slight edge to his tone. "Do I have to have a reason for it? I just don't want to; that's all there is to it."_

"_But…"_

"_I'm not a baseball player anymore," he said. "Can't we just leave it at that?"_

"_No, we can't," Lindsay pressed, "Because I know you. You love baseball! You're always talking about it; what it was like when you used to play and how much you'd love to get to play again – even if it is just for fun. Well, now's your chance. So, what's your problem?"_

"_I don't have a problem," he snapped, pushing his chair back and getting to his feet. "Everything's fine. No problems at all."_

_Lindsay watched as he stormed off across the living room and down the hall toward their bedroom. He didn't quite slam the door – knowing that Lucy was asleep in the next room – but he let it close with a definite snap that told Lindsay that as far as he was concerned, their conversation was over._

_Her appetite suddenly gone, Lindsay sat alone at the table. She was perplexed by Danny's reaction. Why this sudden about-face? Why the sudden aversion to doing something he loved? She gave him a few minutes to cool down then made her way to their bedroom, knocking tentatively on the door before she turned the knob._

"_Danny?" She poked her head into the room, surprised to find him not lying on the bed like she'd expected, but sitting on the floor beside the closet, an old tattered box at his side. He held his battered and worn baseball glove in his hands, a faded ball nestled in its padded palm. As she crossed the room to sit beside him, he smiled sheepishly at her, although his eyes were sad._

"_Sorry," he said softly._

"_It's okay," Lindsay replied, pressing a kiss to his shoulder. "You alright?"_

_He was quiet for a moment, deep in thought. When he spoke, his voice was just above a whisper._

"_I just don't know if I can do it," he admitted. "Ask me a couple years ago… no problem. I'd have been first in line to sign up for that game. But now…" He let out a heavy sigh, "… Sometimes it's just easier not to try. Then I don't have to be disappointed when I realize I can't do it anymore."_

"_What? Why wouldn't you be able to do it?" Lindsay asked, her concern rising. "Danny, is your back bothering you? Is it…"_

"_My back's fine," he said. "For now. But it was fine a few months ago too, and all it took was me chasing down Hollis Eckhart for it to start acting up again." He smiled sadly at her. "And that was just one little twist the wrong way. Baseball… well its running and sliding and bending and twisting - all those things my doctor told me I'm not supposed to do."_

"_Honey, the last time you hurt yourself you'd only been on your feet for a few weeks," Lindsay encouraged. "It's been over six months. You're a lot stronger now – so much stronger than you give yourself credit for. If you want to play, then I think you should. Do you have to be careful? Yes, of course you do. But you don't have to let your fear stop you from doing the things you want to do."_

_Danny contemplated his ball and glove for a moment before turning to her and chuckling softly. "You really want me to play, huh?"_

"_I want you to be happy," she said, resting her head on his shoulder. "I don't want you to miss out on something because you're afraid of all the what-ifs. If you want to play, I'll be there to cheer you on. If you don't want to, then I'll support that decision too."_

"_I'll think about it," he said, moving to wrap his arm around her shoulders and pulling her tightly into his side._

"_That's all I ask." She reached out and took the ball and glove from his hands, sliding her fingers into the glove and flexing the supple leather around the ball. "I've never seen you play, you know," she said, nudging him with her elbow and grinning up at him. "I think it'd be kind of hot… you all kitted out in your tight little baseball pants…" she gave and exaggerated shiver and Danny rolled his eyes._

"_I don't think they do uniforms at this game, Linds. Everyone just wears their shorts or sweats."_

"_Oh," she pouted. "Not even for me?"_

_Danny let out a snort of laughter. "Linds, if I do decide to play and I show up wearing my full gear I'm gonna look like an idiot."_

"_Yeah, but a hot idiot," Lindsay countered, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively at him._

_He shook his head. "Not wearin' them."_

"_You do still have them though, right?" Lindsay asked, her tone one of innocent inquiry as she peered over at the open box on the floor beside him._

_Danny narrowed his eyes at her, the corners of his lips twitching upward. "Maybe." He quickly snapped the flaps of the box shut, obstructing her view inside. "Why?"_

"_Oh, no reason," she replied airily, suddenly pushing herself up from the floor and dropping his glove and ball into his lap. "I'm going to go finish my dinner. You coming?"_

_She flounced out of room, a wide smile on her face as she listened to her husband chuckling to himself in the bedroom. He emerged a few minutes later and they resumed their meal, Lindsay satisfied that she'd planted the seed of confidence that Danny needed to get him back out in the field and playing the game he loved again._

-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-

"Speaking of hot guys," Stella said, interrupting Lindsay's musings, "Where's your hubby?"

"Oh, he's around here somewhere," Lindsay said, glancing at the assembled crowd spread out around the edges of the ball field. "He took Lucy to the playground but the game's about to start, so he should be back soon."

"I'm glad he decided to play," Stella confided. "Flack told me he was making noises like he wasn't going to, and I know he had everyone a little worried. Our team isn't necessarily the most… athletic, shall we say?" She laughed lightly. "They're very enthusiastic, but I think their pride was damaged by the absolute ass-kicking they took from the firefighters last year and they'll be glad to have Danny to help even things out a bit."

"Mama! Mama!"

The conversation between the two women was cut short as a tiny, pink blur came racing toward them, Danny jogging along behind her, wiggling his fingers and growling playfully. "Dada no Yoo-see!" she giggled as Danny closed in on her, finally swooping her up in his arms as she was about to dive onto Lindsay's lap. "No, Dada! No!"

"Gotcha" Danny crowed as he swung her up in the air and caught her, eliciting a loud squeal of laughter from his daughter. He grinned as he dropped down onto the blanket beside his wife and reached into the cooler for a bottle of water. "God, she's getting fast," he said to Lindsay, shaking his head before downing his water thirstily. "How'd you get so fast, you little squirt?" he asked, poking Lucy in the belly with his finger. "Huh? You got jet packs hidden in your diaper?"

"Nope" she replied. "Now see-day-see!" Lucy pleaded, twisting sideways in his arms and begging for him to swing her upside down. "P'ease see-day-see!"

"Uh… sorry, Luce," Danny said, glancing at Lindsay out of the corner of his eye to see if she'd picked up on their daughter's request. "We don't do upsy-daisies anymore, remember? Mommy said no."

"See-day-see, Dada," Lucy said matter-of-factly. "Again!"

"Busted," Lindsay whispered in his ear.

Danny let out a long-suffering sigh. "Aw, Luce. You just love getting me in trouble, don't you?"

"Yup," she replied with an impish grin. "Doos p'ease."

Shaking his head, Danny rummaged around in the cooler for a juice box for Lucy, extracting the straw from its plastic sleeve and poking it through the little foil hole. "Here you go, you little monster."

With Lucy happily slurping away at her juice box while Danny held it for her to ensure she wouldn't squeeze it and get juice all over herself and him, he was saved from any further reprimand from his wife as Mac, Hawkes and Flack approached the group. Mac clapped Danny on the shoulder and nodded a greeting to Stella and Lindsay.

"Hey, how's our ringer doing? You all loose and limbered up? Ready to hit a few home runs for the team?"

"Yeah, I'm feeling good boss," Danny replied with a smile.

"Alright! Those firefighters are going down this year!" Flack said, rubbing his hands together in expectant glee. "It's gonna be awesome."

"Don't get your hopes up too soon," Danny cautioned his friend. "I mean, from what I hear their team is pretty good."

"Yeah, well their team doesn't have you, does it?" Flack said. "Ain't that right, Linds?"

"That's right," Lindsay said, reaching out and gently stroking the back of Danny's neck. She leaned in toward him, lowering her voice so only he could hear. "You okay? Not having second thoughts?"

He smiled at her and shook his head. "I'm good. Thanks."

"You're gonna do great," she said, pressing a kiss to his lips.

"We'll see," he said modestly.

"Just have fun, okay? That's what's really important."

"That I can definitely do," he grinned, leaning in for another quick kiss.

"Good. Now go get 'em, tiger," she said, grabbing his ball cap and stuffing it onto his head before taking Lucy from him as he stood to head off to the dugout to get ready for the start of the game. "I love you!" she called out after him, causing some of the other guys on the team to snigger and rib him playfully.

"Ooh! We looooove you, Messer!" they chorused, making loud and exaggerated smooching noises at him. Lindsay blushed and gave him a conciliatory wave when he turned and rolled his eyes at her before he disappeared amidst the huddle as they gathered to go over their game plan.

* * *

><p><strong>So there we be. Any takers for another chapter? <strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Ta da! So here we are in Chapter 2. Sorry it took a little longer than I'd hoped but I suddenly found inspiration on one of my other stories and when the muse strikes... well, I had to finish a long-overdue update for **_**Something Wicked This Way Comes **_**before she would let me do anything more with this one. :)**

**Now, I've been surprised by the amount of support and positive reviews and comments I've received for stories in the past, but I have to say that this time you guys left me absolutely astounded. The response to the first chapter of this one just blew me away and I am so grateful for each and every one of you who left a review or sent a little PM my way encouraging me to continue. Thank you all so very, very much! I haven't had time to reply to all of the reviews as I've been busy writing, but I hope you know how much they were appreciated. **

**Thanks to: **_**LostwitoutM-M, Dine89, alexindigo, RandomTVFan30, Pat Toby, rapidtetv, sarahlovesit, csimesser1, cklovesm-m, dannylindsayfan, Alex Joleta, bookworm, brendanakai, ioanhoratio, afrozenheart412, webdlfan, **_**and **_**Alice Quarantine. **_

**On another note, this update goes out as a belated birthday present for someone who shall remain nameless (you know who you are... you shameless manipulator, you!). I hope you all enjoy the continuation of Take Me Out to the Ball Game...**

* * *

><p>Lindsay had always enjoyed watching a good ball game. She'd never really been much of a player herself, save for the occasional game played in gym class back in high school, but she had always loved the sights, sounds and smells that she associated with the game. Her brothers had all played in the beer league back in Bozeman and Danny had taken her to a few Mets games when they'd first started dating. As far as she was concerned, as long as you had a hot dog in one hand, a cold drink in the other, and a raucous crowd cheering on the home team, there was no better way to spend a Saturday afternoon.<p>

Today's game was no exception. It was exciting to see her friends and coworkers playing for bragging rights against the firefighters, and although it was apparent that the overall skill of the firefighters outweighed the NYPD's, the game was actually fairly close. Flack, Mac, and Hawkes were all naturally athletic and it showed in their play on the field. The majority of remaining players on the team was made up of slightly older guys - guys with a bit of a spare tire around the middle - who weren't as light on their feet, nor as coordinated.

Throughout the first few innings, Lindsay had been keeping her eye on Danny and although he hadn't yet been up to bat, she was impressed by his play on the field. He was fast, he had a good arm, and above all, he was smart. He seemed to have some kind of internal radar, instinctively knowing where the ball was going to go when it came off the end of the bat. There was such a smooth confidence to his play bred from years of training so that the movements of the game were almost second nature to him. The firefighters seemed to have picked up on this as well, and were trying their best to keep the ball as far away from Danny as they could, preferring to let his less-experienced team-mates bumble their way through the early innings.

The NYPD was up to bat now, and the crowd eagerly watched the first few hitters, cheering when one of their boys made it to base and booing at the umpire when the next batter struck out. Finally, with two outs, one run and the bases loaded, Danny stepped out of the dugout.

"Look, Lucy," Lindsay said, pointing at the baseball diamond. "Who's that? Who do you see?"

"Dada!" Lucy crowed, bouncing on Lindsay's lap and clapping her hands excitedly. "Dada! Hi, Dada!"

"Yo, Messer," Flack called out from the dugout. "Looks like your fan club is calling."

Danny grinned at him before waving at his wife and daughter, whose voices rose far and away above the rest of the crowd. Nervous butterflies were still swarming around in his stomach as he jammed the batting helmet onto his head. He'd had a chance to warm up playing in the outfield during the first few innings, secretly glad that the batting rotation was such that he had been able to make sure his body wasn't going to crap out on him before he went up to bat. He took a deep breath and rolled his shoulders to relieve the last of the tension, revelling in the familiar feeling of the dirt under his feet and the comforting weight of the bat in his hands. Just as he had for all the years that baseball had been his whole life, he cleared his head while he made his way to the plate. He adjusted his stance and swung the bat a few times to get a feel for its weight. Finally ready, he lifted the bat over his shoulder and raised his eyes to stare down the pitcher.

On the mound, McMillan recoiled his arm and the ball left his hand, speeding toward Danny.

"Steee-rike one!"

The uproar around him was almost instant, his team-mates and their supporters both screaming at the umpire to get his eyes checked. Danny knew it had been within the strike zone, but it had been slightly higher than he'd wanted. He wasn't about to waste his energy swinging at a crappy pitch like that. He prepared himself again and waited.

"Steee-rike two!"

"What the hell, ump?" Flack's voice carried over the noise of the crowd. "Are you blind? Jesus!"

Danny shook his head. He probably should have swung at that one...

"What's the matter?" the bat catcher for the other team chided from his position crouched behind the plate. "You scared of a little ball? Not ready to play with the big boys yet?"

_He's just trying to get into your head. Shake it off, Messer, _Danny told himself. He stepped back from the plate and took another couple of practice swings.

"We don't got all day, Messer," the bat catcher continued. "Come on. You gonna play or ain't ya?"

Taking one last, deep breath, Danny stepped back to the plate and once again raised the bat over his shoulder.

_Crack!_

The ball connected hard with the bat and the crowd cheered as it went sailing into the outfield, way out of reach of the nearest outfielder. Danny could hear people shouting for him to start running but he knew before the umpire said a word that his hit had gone wide.

"Foul ball! Ball one!" the umpire called out. Although his hit hadn't been everything he'd hoped for, it wasn't bad for a first try and it had had it's desired effect on the firefighters.

"We got a heavy hitter here, people. Heavy hitter!" the pitcher called out to his team, waving them further into the outfield after seeing how hard Danny could hit." Come on, get back! No, Morris. Go back further!"

Once the ball had made its way back to McMillan and all the players had found their positions on the field, Danny adjusted his stance and prepared himself for another pitch.

From her place in the crowd, Lindsay was almost beside herself. What the hell was Danny doing? Now, she was no expert at baseball, but even she knew that he probably should have swung at that last strike. She gnawed nervously on the nail of her thumb as she watched the pitcher wind up, the ball sailing effortlessly from the tips of his fingers. She watched as Danny swung and her heart nearly stopped when she heard the snap of the bat and ball connecting loudly.

The next moments were a flurry of activity as the crowd jumped to its feet, cheering and hollering as the ball bounced between first base and the short stop, the firefighters diving to catch it, but missing it each time by mere inches. Meanwhile, the bases were in motion as the NYPD players that had been waiting at each base began to race around the diamond and soon there were one, two, three runs in! Danny was rounding third when the ball was finally retrieved and the firefighters began to leapfrog the ball from player to player at a rapid pace, heading for home base.

Lindsay was on her feet now, jumping and screaming like a mad-woman with a bewildered Lucy jostling in her arms. "Come on, Danny! Go! Go! Go!" she bellowed. "Come on, baby! You can do it!"

Lucy cheered and clapped her hands, oblivious as to why everyone was making so much noise, but happy to join in. "Yay Yoo-see!" she cried, eliciting a laugh from Stella who directed the little girl's attention to the field where both Danny and the ball were on a collision course with home plate.

"We're cheering for your daddy, silly girl," Stella chuckled. "See? Do you see him running?"

Lucy looked around, her big blue eyes following the path of Stella's finger until they landed on her father, running at full tilt for home. "Dada!" Lucy crowed. "Yay Dada!"

Danny was closing in, but Lindsay could see that the ball was going to get there first. Apparently Danny had come to the same conclusion and, with only a few feet left to go, he launched himself head-first at the base, sliding along the dirt with his hand outstretched. Lindsay held her breath as the plate, Danny and the bat catcher disappeared in a cloud of dust. The crowd went silent, everyone on both sides waiting on tenterhooks for the call. Then, from out of the dust rose a loud, clear voice:

"Safe!" called the umpire and the NYPD fans were screaming in delight once again while the firefighter's supporters let out a groan.

"Jesus. Who is that guy?" one of the FDNY groupies sitting near Lindsay and Stella muttered. "He didn't play last year. Where the hell did they dig him up?"

Lindsay turned to face the voice and grinned at the group of people who all wore FDNY t-shirts. "He's my husband," she said proudly.

"Oh yeah?" one woman sneered. "Does he really work for the NYPD or is he just some ringer they picked up?"

"Actually, he works for the crime lab."

Eyebrows were raised all around. "_That _guy's a lab rat?"

"Hey, watch it," Stella said, taking offence to the slur against her chosen profession.

"Well, lab rat or not," the same woman continued with a sniff of superiority, "He must be new... he sure as hell wasn't playing last year."

Lindsay shook her head when she saw that Stella was about to tell the woman exactly why Danny hadn't played the year before. As far as she was concerned, Danny's time in the wheelchair and his subsequent rehabilitation was his business and no one else's. He wasn't ashamed of it, nor should he be. And neither was Lindsay. She was proud of how hard he'd worked to get better, how he'd fought through the pain. But she knew that people tended to treat him differently when they knew - their close friends and family excepted - and she didn't want everyone to suddenly start molly coddling him.

"That woman better watch her mouth," Stella muttered irritably to Lindsay as the pair of them retook their seats on the blanket. "If she's not careful, I'll show her a lab rat... I'll scratch her eyes out of she says anything bad about Danny or anyone else from the lab."

"Forget about it, Stell," Lindsay said, patting her friend consolingly on the leg. She felt no small amount of gratitude for Stella's display of solidarity - not only on behalf of the lab in general, but to Danny in particular. She was aware of the close friendship Danny and Stella had built over the years and she couldn't help but compare her friend's protectiveness to that of an older sister.

"It just really gets me, you know?" Stella huffed with a shake of her wild mane of curls. "People think they have us pegged... we work in a lab so obviously we're all some kind of socially-inept albino mole people or something."

Lindsay threw her head back and let out a peal of laughter at the ridiculous image that came to her mind of a group of pale, sickly people emerging from the Crime Lab, blinking warily in the sunlight before skittering back inside. The image couldn't have been further from the truth, but Stella was right. There was an unfair stigma attached to working in a lab. A stigma that could hopefully be dispelled at least somewhat by a good showing from the lab's representatives on the NYPD team.

As the respective cheers and jeers from the crowd died down, Lindsay saw Danny standing behind home plate brushing himself off. Although he was covered from head to toe in a thick layer of dirt, even from where she sat Lindsay could see the mile-wide smile plastered on his face. Before he turned to head back to the dugout, he glanced up, catching Lindsay's eye and beaming at her.

Watching him jog back to his team-mates, a lump began to form in Lindsay's throat. There had been a time not so very long ago when she'd wondered if Danny would ever walk again. It had seemed like such a long shot, with the odds stacked heavily against him. Outwardly she had remained optimistic, but there had always been a little voice in the back of her mind reminding her that there was a chance that the wheelchair might be a permanent fixture in their lives.

But now to see him not only walking, but out there having the time of his life playing the game that he loved? It was too much and she surreptitiously swiped at her eyes, hoping that no one had noticed her tears. She felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned to see Stella smiling back at her, her own eyes red-rimmed.

"I am so proud of you two," Stella said quietly. She rifled around in her handbag and brought out a small packet of tissues, handing one to Lindsay. "God, I'm a mess and I didn't got through half of what you guys went through to get here today." She dabbed at her eyes and blew her nose loudly before pocketing her tissue. "I'll take Lucy for you if you want to go have a minute with Dan."

With a grateful smile, Lindsay handed Lucy over to Stella. She grabbed her purse and took out her compact, making sure that it wasn't overly obvious she'd shed a few tears. Snapping the compact shut, she wandered over to the NYPD's dugout. As she approached she could hear members of the team chatting excitedly about the last play and, rounding the side of the small cinderblock building, she saw the majority of the players grouped around Danny, patting him on the back and ruffling his dusty hair while they offered their congratulations on his home run.

He humbly shrugged off their praise, lifting the hem of his t-shirt and running it over his face in an attempt to wipe away some of the dirt and sweat. One of his team-mates noticed Lindsay lingering nearby and prodded Danny in the shoulder.

"Yo, Messer. You got company," he said. Danny looked up, his eyes moving to where Lindsay was standing. He smiled as he neared, raising his hand as if to stroke her cheek, but thinking better of it when he realized how dirty his hand was.

"Hey," he said, settling for pressing a lingering kiss to her hair instead.

"Hey yourself," she replied. She closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of him; dirt and sweat mixed with the faint aroma of his deodorant and shampoo. It was so masculine and alluring and Lindsay had to fight with herself not to fall prey to the desire that unexpectedly surged up inside of her. Sighing inwardly, she stepped back, distancing herself from him and offering him a proud smile.

"That was amazing, babe," she said simply. "How do you feel?"

Danny craned his back to demonstrate his range of movement and shot her a grin. "I feel fantastic," he gushed excitedly. "Really good."

"Yeah? No pain?"

"No. None!"

She shook her head and swallowed hard. The lump in her throat had returned. Danny's features softened and he forgot all about his dirty hands, gently pinching her chin between his thumb and forefinger.

"Hey...what's all this?" he asked softly. "You okay?"

She blinked hard and nodded her head. "Yeah. I'm fine," she assured him, offering him a smile bursting with pride. "It's just really nice to hear you say that, you know?"

Looking into Danny's eyes, Lindsay could see a flurry of emotions there; the same emotions that had spilled over in her were being carefully controlled by her husband, although she knew that the significance of those two little words - _no pain _- were not lost on him either.

With a crooked smile on his face, Danny leaned in to peck her lightly on the tip of her nose. "I gotta go back," he said, glancing over his shoulder at his team who were getting geared up for their turn playing the field.

"Okay," Lindsay replied. She gave him a little push back toward the dugout. "Go. Have fun. And be careful."

"Always am, babe," he responded with a wink. "Love you."

He disappeared into the dugout, reappearing seconds later with the glove that had lain forgotten in a box on the top shelf of their closet for so many years tucked under his arm as he jogged onto the field.

* * *

><p><strong>I'd like to point out that my experience with baseball is fairly limited. I played T-Ball (I sucked) and Little League (I sucked even worse) as a kid and my knowledge of the game comes from watching friends (who didn't suck) play while I enjoyed the eye candy from the bleachers. <strong>

**I was hoping to capture the feel of the game... I think it kind of worked, although I'll let you all be the final judge. As always, reviews are most welcome. Are we still feeling the love for this story? Do we want to see more? Or did I strike out?**

**Let me know! **

**rhymes**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Ahoy all! Sorry for the delay in getting this next installment up. I had a few things come up this week that took up a lot of my writing time, so it had to wait for the long weekend before I got a chance to revisit.**

**The support that continues to pour in for this story is amazing so a huge thank you goes out once again to those that have left reviews or added this one to their story alerts! You guys are so wonderful!**

**I hope you like this next update. I wanted to wrap up the game but still continue to focus on the backstory of Danny and Lindsay so fingers crossed that you enjoy what I have in store for you here!**

* * *

><p>Both teams converged on the field, shaking hands and congratulating one another on a game well played. Lindsay stood with Lucy in her arms and Stella by her side, watching as Danny made his way through the line of firefighters, many of whom took an extra moment to pat him on the back in a gesture of admiration for his play.<p>

In the end, the game had gone into extra innings with the FDNY beating out the NYPD by a single run. But their supporters were anything but disappointed. It was a far cry from the pasting they'd taken the previous year and the fact that they'd been tied going into extra innings was as good as a victory for the players and fans alike.

Lindsay watched from the edge of the field as Danny broke away from the crowd and began to make his way toward her. Flack came up beside him, draping his arm over Danny's shoulders and ruffling his hair in a display of brotherly affection while they walked, Mac and Hawkes trailing close behind.

"Good game," Stella greeted the conquering heroes.

"Thanks," Flack replied, a smug grin on his face. "But I can't take all the credit. Actually," he paused, a smirk on his face, "I could. But I won't. I'm a real team player, you know?"

Hawkes rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Mr. Ball-hog over here who throws like a girl..." He ducked when Flack tried to swat at him with his baseball cap. "Ooh... he hits like a girl too!"

"Will you two stop horsing around?," Mac sighed, side-stepping Hawkes and Flack, the detective having found himself in an unexpected headlock, courtesy of the former ME. Mac rolled his eyes heavenward. "You would have thought they'd have worn themselves out by now."

"Well, boys will be boys," Stella chuckled, taking Mac by the arm and leading him off the field, leaving the small Messer family to meander on their own toward the area where the post-game barbecue had been set up. Danny smiled down at his daughter who was peeking out at him from under the brim of her little pink sunhat.

"Hey, squirt," he said, bending to blow a loud raspberry to her cheek and eliciting a peal of laughter from the little girl. "Did you have fun today? Were you a good girl for Mommy and Aunt Stella?"

Lucy nodded her head enthusiastically. "Yoo-see bay-bawl," she said.

"Stella and I were rolling a ball around with her on the grass," Lindsay said by way of an explanation when Danny shot her a questioning glance. "She saw you on the field and wanted to play too. I think she thought it was pretty cool to see her daddy out there playing ball. She wanted to be like you."

The pride on Danny's face was unmistakable and he beamed back at Lindsay. "You think so?"

"I know so. You were really great out there, honey," Lindsay assured him, garnering a bashful smile from her husband.

"Nah. I was just okay," Danny said. "I'll be better next year."

The smile on Lindsay's face at the mention of him playing again next year was almost blinding and her eyes were shining with unshed tears of happiness. It reminded him of the night he'd first told her that he was seriously considering joining in on the game. It had been a few days after their initial conversation over dinner...

-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-

_Returning from a scene, Danny emerged from the elevator and turned down the hall toward the locker room. He pushed open the door and smiled, seeing his wife standing in front of her open locker in the process of exchanging her lab coat for her jacket._

"_How perfect is my timing?" he said, walking up behind her and pressing a gentle kiss to the back of her neck. "You going for lunch?"_

"_Sorry babe," she said, reaching up to the top shelf to retrieve her gun and badge. "Hawkes and I are on our way to follow up on a lead from our case." She turned and offered him an apologetic smile. She slid her gun into her holster and clipped her badge onto her belt. "Maybe we can grab something when I get back. How does dinner sound?"_

"_Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that," Danny said, punching in the combination to his own locker and pulling it open. "I think I'm gonna be a little late tonight. I wanted to let you know so you weren't waiting for me."_

"_Oh," Lindsay said, her disappointment evident in her voice and on her face. "You catch a tough case this morning? Maybe I can pick something up and bring it to you here..."_

"_It's not that, Linds," he said, shrugging off his jacket and stuffing it into his locker. "I, um... I was thinking that I might go to the batting cages. You know, to kind of get a feel for playing again."_

_He was relieved to see Lindsay's disappointment fade as quickly as it had appeared, a delighted smile taking its place on her face. "Really?" she asked, her eyes aglow with excitement. "So, does that mean...?"_

_Danny shook his head. "It means that I'm thinking about it, okay?" he said, reaching out and cupping her cheek in his hand, his thumb gently caressing her cheek. "It all depends on how it goes over the next few days. I gotta make sure I can actually do this before I make up my mind."_

_Lindsay nodded. "That sounds like a great idea," she said. Her bottom lip began to tremble slightly and she blinked hard to hold back her tears . Stepping closer, she wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him into a tight hug, her head cradled in the crook of his neck. "I'm really proud of you for giving this a try, Dan," she whispered with a shaky voice._

"_If I don't try I'll never know, will I?" Danny replied softly. He buried his face in her hair and let his hands skim lightly up and down her back in a soothing gesture while she sniffled quietly. "You got no one to thank but yourself for giving me the kick in the ass that I needed." _

_Lindsay chuckled and pressed a kiss to his neck before untangling herself from their embrace. "Any time your ass needs a kicking, I'm your girl." She smiled up at him before pursing her lips in a silent plea for a kiss. He obliged, letting his lips linger against hers for slightly longer than was appropriate given the fact that they were in the locker room and anyone could walk in at any time. But by the way Lindsay sighed contentedly, he was pretty sure she didn't mind, so why should he?_

"_I love you, sweetheart. I'll see you when I'm done tonight, okay?"_

_Lindsay nodded and Danny leaned in for one more quick kiss before they parted ways; him to the lab to begin processing and Lindsay off to meet with Hawkes and head out into the field._

_-NY-NY-NY-NY-NY-_

Click. Swoosh. Crack.

Click. Swoosh. Crack.

Click. Swoosh. Crack.

_It was almost hypnotic, the metronomic sounds of the batting cages. It was just as Danny remembered it; the click of the ball leaving the pitching machine, the swoosh of his bat, and the satisfying crack of the two meeting in midair. He had already been through three cycles of the machine and as the last ball flew toward him, he swung, watching the ball fly off into the netting at the end of the cage. After raising the hem of his ratty NYPD t-shirt to wipe the sweat from his face, Danny took a moment to assess his body. He planted his feet, gingerly stretching his back this way and that, bending forward and touching his toes only to feel... nothing. Other than run-of-the-mill post-workout aches and pains his back felt fine. He couldn't help the ridiculous grin from spreading across his face as he turned to put his bat away and grab his bag. He couldn't wait to tell Lindsay... and he was in desperate need of a shower. It had been a long time since he'd worked up such a sweat and it was the one aspect of his beloved sport that he didn't really miss all that much._

_Once again swiping his face with his shirt, he was startled by a familiar voice._

"_Looking good, Messer."_

_Lowering his shirt, he found himself face-to-face with his wife who was standing on the outside of the cage with a wide smile on her face._

"_Linds? What are you doing here?" Danny asked, striding up to the fence and hooking his fingers through the wire of the cage. _

_Lindsay shrugged her shoulders. "I missed you today," she said simply, reaching up and lacing her own fingers with Danny's. "I thought you might be hungry and I didn't feel like eating alone at home, so I brought a picnic."_

"_Where's Luce?"_

"_With her godfather," Lindsay informed him with a cheeky grin. "Mac mentioned the other day that he hadn't seen her in ages, so I tracked him down this afternoon and suggested that tonight would be a good night for them to spend some time together. He showed up about an hour ago and when I left, Lucy was trying to rope him into having a tea party with her." _

_Danny's features softened at the mention of his daughter. She had the amazing ability to wind even the most hardened of people around her tiny fingers, winning them over with her disarming smile and wide baby blue eyes. He had no doubt that Lucy had gotten her way and that at this precise moment, Mac Taylor - former Marine and current head of the New York Crime Lab - was squashed into a child-sized pink chair sipping imaginary tea and eating make-believe cookies. And loving every minute of it._

"_So Mac gets tea and I get dinner?" Danny chuckled. "That sounds pretty good to me. Thank you, sweetheart," he said, giving her fingers a gentle squeeze. "You didn't go to too much trouble, did you?" he asked, eyeing the tote bag she'd brought along with her._

"_Just a couple of sandwiches," Lindsay said nonchalantly, shrugging off his thanks. She cast a critical eye up and down his body. "So? How did it go?"_

_"I think it went pretty good," he said. "I'm not hitting as hard as I used to, but after a few more nights of practice I think I might do okay come game day."_

_"You're gonna be amazing, babe. I know you are," Lindsay said without a hint of doubt in her voice._

_Danny was touched beyond words by her show of confidence in his abilities and he found himself wondering - not for the first time - how he'd gotten so lucky as to have someone in his life that never hesitated to offer her undying support; who believed in him even when the odds seemed stacked against him. Danny knew without a shadow of a doubt that if he hadn't had Lindsay in his life he most assuredly wouldn't have had the strength to keep fighting, to keep trying, to push himself past the boundaries of his capabilities. It never failed to astound him just what an amazing woman he'd married. _

_"Thank you," he said quietly. "It means a lot to hear you say that."_

_"Well, it means a lot to me that you're giving this your best shot," Lindsay said. "You have no idea how excited I am to see you play. If what I saw tonight is anything to go by, you're going to give those smug firefighters a run for their money."_

_"We'll see," Danny chuckled. "Don't get your hopes up too high, babe. I'm only one man."_

_"But what a man you are," Lindsay murmured appreciatively, her eyes dropping to unabashedly admire his body through the sweat drenched t-shirt that clung to his chest. She chewed coyly on her lower lip, looking up at him through her lashes. "You think you have it in you to show me how to hit like a pro?"_

"_I think I can manage that," Danny smiled, stepping back from the cage and pulling open the gate for her to join him inside. "Although you'll have to settle for hitting like a former minor-leaguer. I hope that's okay."_

"_It's better than okay, baby," Lindsay said, starting to wrap her arms around Danny's neck. He grimaced and tried to pry her off of him._

"_Don't... I'm all gross," he pleaded. "I don't want to get you all sweaty."_

_Lindsay swatted his hands away and gripped the front of his shirt, pulling him close and pressing a firm kiss to his lips. Pulling back, she flashed him a devilish smile. "You never had any problems getting me all sweaty before now," she teased._

"_That's only fun when we both get sweaty," Danny chuckled, loosening Lindsay's grasp on him and stepping back to keep his distance. "And there's no way we're doing that here. So quit messing around and grab a bat."_

_Lindsay grinned at him, taking one of the bats from the stand. "Okay. Now what?" she asked._

"_Stand with your feet apart, like this," Danny said, demonstrating the proper positioning. Lindsay followed suit. "And hold the bat with both hands like this." Again he demonstrated, holding his bat out in front of him with his hands gripping the tape around the base. "Good. Now, when you're ready to hit, you bring the bat over your shoulder like this... no, babe. Try and keep your elbows together... no, see? Like I'm doing."_

"_Like this?" Lindsay asked, her eyes dancing with mischief as she wielded the bat in the air, brandishing it over her shoulder in a wildly exaggerated batter's stance._

"_Linds, come on," Danny sighed, although he had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep himself from laughing at her comical pose. "I thought you wanted to learn how to do this."_

"_I really do," Lindsay assured him. "Maybe if you came over here and helped me..." she suggested, batting her eyelashes at him._

_Danny chuckled. He was on to her game and he was only too willing to play along. Returning his bat to the stand, he slowly closed the distance between himself and his wife until he was standing behind her. He reached around her waist, taking her elbows in his hands and sliding his fingers along her forearm until he had a gentle grip on her wrists._

"_Hold the bat out in front of you," he repeated his previous instructions, his lips brushing against the soft shell of her ear. "Now draw it back over your shoulder," he continued, guiding Lindsay with his hands. "And when the ball comes, you swing like this; nice and smooth... think you got it now?"_

"_Almost," Lindsay replied, and a shiver ran up Danny's spine at the tense, breathless tone to her voice. "Show me again?"_

"_Slow learner, Montana?" Danny teased, earning himself an elbow to the gut. "Ow! Kidding! I'm kidding!"_

"_Just shut up and show me again," Lindsay shot back. "You behave yourself and I might let you get to second base tonight."_

"_Just second?" Danny asked, twisting out of the path of another elbow from Lindsay. He released his grip on her wrists and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back flush against his body and pressing his lips to her ear. "I was hoping for at least third, and if you let me hit a home run I promise to make it worth your while."_

_Lindsay dropped her bat, turning in his arms and sliding her hands up around his neck. She pulled him toward her, their lips meeting in a series of light, exploratory kisses which would have quickly escalated to something far more desperate had they not been standing in so public a place._

"_Hey! You guys!"_

_Their intimate moment was interrupted and they broke apart, looking around for the source of the voice. A couple of lanky, freckle-faced teenagers were standing outside of the cage, their expressions a mixture of fascination and impatience with the cage's current occupants._

"_If you guys are just gonna make out, can we use this cage?" asked the taller of the two kids. "Me and my brother wanna practice and all the other ones are taken."_

_Danny turned to Lindsay who shrugged her shoulders. "I'd rather make out," she said with a wink. She turned to the teenagers and smiled. "It's all yours boys."_

-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-

A wide smile spread across Danny's face as he recalled the events of that night. He and Lindsay had enjoyed their dinner, exchanging flirtatious touches and kisses while lying on a picnic blanket in a park near the batting cages before they'd headed home. He'd been a little stiff and sore after the adrenaline had left his body and Lindsay had insisted that he take a long, hot shower to relax his aching muscles. After, Lindsay had laid him down on their bed and gently worked on his back, her nimble fingers patiently massaging away each and every knot. Then he'd made love to her; slow, tender love that he hoped expressed just how much he worshipped and adored her.

"What are you smiling about?" Lindsay asked, bringing Danny back from his thoughts.

Embarrassed at having been caught in a daydream, Danny grinned somewhat shyly at his wife. "Um... well... you, actually."

"Me?" Lindsay blushed. "Well, it must have been a good thought if it had you smiling like that. Care to elaborate?" she asked, then she wiggled her eyebrows at him. "Or is it not the kind of thought you can share with little ears around?" She nodded down at Lucy.

Danny smiled and stroked his wife's cheek affectionately. "I was just thinking that I couldn't have done this without you, Linds. And I don't know if there's any way that I can thank you for... well, for this." He gestured between himself and the ball field. "It was a part of who I am that I thought I might never get to share with you."

Lindsay reached up and cupped his face in her hand, drawing him down to her for a kiss. When she pulled back her eyes were flickering with emotion and she graced him with a smile. "You would have done it eventually," she said, running the pad of her thumb over his cheek. "You just needed a little kick start to get the ball rolling, as it were. You would have done the same thing for me, Dan. I know you would."

He lowered his head and kissed her again.

"Love you, babe."

"I love you too," she replied.

"An' me too! Dada yuv Yoo-see too!"

Danny grinned down at the little girl squirming in her mother's arms. "And you too?" he asked, scooping her up and buzzing her cheeks with kisses. "Yeah, you're right. Daddy loves you too, sweetpea."

With Lucy settled on his hip, he slid his other arm around Lindsay's shoulders, pulling her snugly into his side and leading his little family over to where everyone was lining up for the barbecue. As he pressed a kiss to his wife's temple he vowed to himself that he would find a way to show her exactly how much he appreciated her unwavering and steadfast support.

* * *

><p><strong>So? What did we think? <strong>

**For those of you who are itching for the smut, fear not - I haven't forgotten about it ;) Patience, my friends. All good things to those who wait. **

**Reviews are most welcome, so please feel free to leave a review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry! God, I'm so sorry this has taken so long to get posted. It seems I keep falling behind with my stories! I just have so many ideas for each of them and it's tough to get my muse to cooperate sometimes. She seems to have a severe case of ADD lately and it means that I've got chapters for several stories all at various stages of completion at the moment.**

**The good news is, this one is now complete! Woo hoo! Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter. Your patience is about to be rewarded, as this is the chapter that I have a sneaking suspicion you guys have been waiting for. ;)**

**With that being said, I'll shut up now and leave you to it, shall I?**

**Warning:**** Remember how this story is rated M? Well, this chapter is where the story really earns that rating. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"Are you guys leaving already?"<p>

Lindsay smiled at Stella's disappointed expression. "Yeah. Sorry, Stell," she said, looking around for any more of Lucy's wayward toys and paraphernalia, hoping that she hadn't forgotten anything. "But it's way past Lucy's bedtime." She nodded over to where Danny was standing talking with a few of the guys from the NYPD team, Lucy nodding sleepily in his arms. He rocked back and forth in a slow, gentle rhythm, all the while rubbing her back. Even from where she stood, Lindsay could see that Lucy was fighting sleep, jerking herself awake before she blinked heavily and eventually rested her head against her father's shoulder, her lashes fluttering lightly against her rosy cheeks as sleep finally won out.

"Aw, poor kid," Stella said, smiling at Danny as he bid his farewells to his teammates and sauntered over to join his wife. "She's tuckered herself right out, hasn't she?"

"She asleep?" Danny asked, turning so Lindsay could get a look at Lucy's face over his shoulder.

"Yeah. She is," Lindsay replied, leaning in and pressing a delicate kiss to the tip of the little girl's button nose. "I think I have everything… diapers, toys, blanket… you already put the cooler in the car?"

"Yup. I think we're good to go," Danny confirmed with a nod of his head. He grinned down at Stella. "Thanks for keeping my girls company today, Stell. And for cheering us all on. I'm only sorry we couldn't get a win for you guys today."

"Ah, that's okay," she said with a smile. "Win or lose, it was a great day." She stood and stretched, bestowing a mischievous grin on her two friends. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I was talking to a hot firefighter earlier and I want to get his number before I head home. I'll see you guys tomorrow?"

"Bright and early," Lindsay said with a sigh. "Have a good night, Stell."

Stella walked off, waving at the pair of them over her shoulder as she went.

Lindsay turned to Danny. "Well? You ready?"

"As I'll ever be," Danny replied, carefully bending down to help Lindsay carry some of their load while trying not to wake his slumbering daughter. They made their way back to their car and soon they were all buckled in and Danny was maneuvering the car out onto the road.

"You know, I told Stella we had to go because it was past Lucy's bedtime, but I'm starting to feel like Cinderella here," Lindsay yawned. "I'm about five minutes away from turning into a pumpkin."

"I know what you mean," Danny said, stifling his own yawn. He reached over the centre console and placed his hand on Lindsay's knee, giving her leg a gentle squeeze. "How about we get Lucy into bed and then I can concentrate you."

Lindsay turned her head and stared at the silhouette of her husband's face in the darkening dusk. "If I didn't know any better," she began, placing her hand on top of Danny's and lacing her fingers in with his, "I'd say it sounded like you had more on your mind than just tucking me in."

Danny flashed her a grin and a wink before turning his attention back to the road.

* * *

><p>Upon arriving back at home, Lindsay had insisted that Danny get himself straight into the shower. She knew that even though he'd deny it until his last breath, his muscles must be aching at least a little after the day's activities and she knew a hot shower would do him a world of good. She took it upon herself to put Lucy to bed and once the little girl was tucked tightly under the covers, she returned to the kitchen to start emptying out the cooler. She could no longer hear Danny in the shower and she assumed he was getting himself ready for bed. She was just rinsing out the last of the Tupperware containers and setting it in the drying rack when she felt his presence behind her. She could smell his shower gel and feel the warmth of his body against her back. He pressed a lingering kiss to her neck before he put his lips to her ear.<p>

"Close your eyes and come with me," he whispered.

"Danny, what…?" Lindsay began.

"Shh… just close your eyes, okay?" he repeated. "I got a surprise for you."

The husky tone to his voice sent shivers careening involuntarily down Lindsay's spine and she bit her lip and nodded her head. "Okay," she said as she did as instructed. "They're closed."

"Good. Now give me your hand."

She held out her hand and Danny enfolded her fingers in his, leading her out of the kitchen. "Careful," he cautioned. "Watch your step."

"What are you up to?" Lindsay asked. "Why do I get a surprise?"

She could hear Danny chuckle and he lifted her hand and pressed a kiss to her fingers. "Because I want to. I love you, Linds," he said. "And without you, I wouldn't be standing here beside you. I'd still be stuck in that wheelchair feeling sorry for myself. And I don't know if I ever truly let you know just how much it meant to me know that you had my back… so to speak."

"Danny, you don't have to… Mmm!"

Any words she was going to say or protest she was about to utter were cut off as Danny pressed his lips to hers, his mouth moving slowly and purposefully over hers. She moaned when he nipped at her bottom lip before pulling back.

"Ah! No peeking," he reminded her when he saw she was about to open her eyes.

"Baby, please!" Lindsay whined. "What is it?"

Danny let go of her hand and she heard him take a few steps away. He took what she could only describe as a nervous breath and she wondered what on earth he had in store for her that had him so anxious.

"Okay. Open 'em."

Lindsay cautiously cracked open one eye, then the other. She glanced at her immediate surroundings, an expression of immense perplexity on her face. She was standing in their bedroom and everything looked exactly the same. Not a fibre was out of place and there certainly wasn't anything glaringly obvious that she could see. She turned to Danny for an explanation and her eyes went wide with shock. Standing in the doorway, Danny was clad from head to toe in his old baseball uniform, complete with his ball cap, stirrups and cleats.

"Oh my God," Lindsay breathed when she finally found her voice. "Danny!"

"You said you wanted to see it," he said with a small shrug of his shoulders. He turned on the spot to give her the full effect and Lindsay let out a little hum of appreciation at the sight of his backside tightly encased in his pants. "So?" he asked, once again facing her. "What do you think?"

Lindsay shook her head. "Baby, you look amazing!"

"It's a bit tight," Danny said, his tone apologetic and a slightly bashful little grin on his face as ran his hands over the front of his uniform. "I think I've put on a few pounds since college."

"I never would have known," Lindsay assured him as her eyes greedily roved up and down his body, drinking in every last detail. She'd pictured him in his baseball gear many times in the years they'd been together, but somehow the real thing was so much better than any of her fantasies.

"Yeah, well… just don't ask me to do any lunges or squat-thrusts for you and I think we'll be okay," Danny teased, a playful twinkle in his blue eyes.

"Damn," Lindsay giggled, a mock-pout on her face. "And you know how I love a good squat-thrust."

She closed the distance between them with a few quick steps and placed her hands on his chest, running her fingers up and down the fabric of his jersey. She linked her fingers together around the back of his neck and pulled him down for a kiss. Danny was only too happy to reciprocate, wrapping his arms around her waist and parting his lips to grant access to her eager tongue. She explored the ridges and lines of his mouth, all the while her desire for him increasing exponentially until she broke their kiss and gazed expectantly up at him.

"So… does this surprise include anything else? Like maybe a sexy dance?"

Danny snorted with laughter. "Yeah, right," he chuckled. "Did I not just mention that if I make any sudden movements, I'm gonna split my pants?"

"Mmm… just a faster way to get you out of them," Lindsay murmured, latching onto his earlobe with her teeth and tugging lightly. This earned her a groan of appreciation from her husband and he tilted his head to give her wandering lips more of his neck to explore. "Come on, baby… I did it for you and I'm no dancer," Lindsay whispered against his skin, reminding him of the night several months ago when she had donned her cheerleader uniform from high school and seduced him with a sultry dance as a prelude to a night of intense passion between them. "Show me what you got, Messer."

"What I got are two left feet," Danny mumbled, his breath hitching in his throat as Lindsay kissed her way along his jaw, one hand tangled in the hair at the nape of his neck while the other slid down the front of his body, stopping only when she reached the front of his pants. Her kisses stopped and she pulled back from Danny, her eyebrows raised in amusement.

"Are you wearing… a cup?" she asked.

Danny shrugged his shoulders. "It's part of the uniform," he explained matter-of-factly. "About the only part of the uniform that still fits properly," he continued, blushing slightly.

Lindsay smiled up at him reassuringly, cupping his face in her hands. She could tell that he was feeling more than a little self-conscious and she could definitely sympathize. She had felt exactly the same when she'd squeezed herself into her cheerleader uniform. She was sure the sweater hadn't been quite so snug – especially around the middle – back in high school and she'd wondered if the sight of a slightly bloated cheerleader would have the desired effect on Danny. But she needn't have worried. He'd quickly assured her that it was the gesture that counted, the act of fulfilling the fantasy for the other person was the important part. He'd made her feel beautiful with his admiring glances and reverential touches. The way he'd devoured her with his eyes had made all of her fears evaporate and given her confidence a substantial boost and made her realize that Danny appreciated her body just as it was. He wasn't expecting perfection, but he'd made her feel perfect. And now that the tables were turned, she wanted to make sure that he knew how much she loved him for taking this risk for her, and how completely and utterly she desired and loved him.

"Thank you for doing this," she said, raising up onto her toes to skim her lips tantalizingly against his. "You have no idea – none at all – how much this means to me. Everything is perfect, Danny. You're perfect. I love you so much."

She felt Danny smile and his arms tightened briefly around her before he released her, taking her hand in his and leading her over to the bed. He guided her to sit on the edge, then he turned and disappeared out into the hallway. He returned a moment later, the sound of his cleats clacking against the wooden floor preceding him and he rounded the doorway, his iPhone in his hand. He fiddled with it for a moment before setting it in the stereo docking station on his bedside table. A low, rhythmic beat began to pulsate from the speakers, just loud enough to add a touch of romance to the atmosphere, but not enough to disturb Lucy or their neighbours.

"What are you doing?" Lindsay asked, her curiosity piqued.

He turned to her, reaching out and gently stroking her cheek with the tips of his fingers. "I'm giving you what you asked for," he said, taking a step back and a deep breath to calm the nerves Lindsay could see plainly on his face.

"Honey, you don't…"

"It's okay, Linds. I want to," he assured her with a smile. "I just… no laughing when I trip over my own feet, 'kay?"

Lindsay shook her head and smiled, making the motion of locking her lips and throwing away the key. She settled herself more comfortably on the bed, her hands clasped tightly in her lap as she waited eagerly for Danny to begin. This was a different side of her husband, she mused while watching Danny start to move to the music. The Danny Messer that the rest of the world got to see - confident to the point of cockiness on occasion - was gone and the man she adored was standing before her, clearly out of his element but willing to bite the bullet for her sake, and doing a fine job of it, in Lindsay's opinion.

For his part, the initial awkwardness he'd felt rapidly began to wane when he realized how much Lindsay was enjoying herself. If the way she was gnawing on her bottom lip and the slightly glazed look in her eyes was anything to go by, he was doing something right. With every moment that passed, his confidence increased. He turned and wiggled his backside for her, earning an appreciative, "Woo! Shake it baby!" from his wife. He grinned at her over his shoulder, his hand moving up to the collar of his jersey. Slowly turning to face her, he popped the top button, then the next. Lindsay's eyes lit up and she squirmed on the bed and he saw her fingers twitch involuntarily before she balled them into tight fists in her lap, clearly restraining herself from reaching out for him.

With a few buttons left to go, he untucked the hem of his jersey from the waistband of his pants. Finished with his shirt, he shrugged it from his shoulders, letting it fall from his arms and drop to the floor. Lindsay let out a little whimper as he skimmed his hands up and down his chest and stomach. He toed off his cleats, his hands moving on to his belt buckle which he quickly unfastened and pulled free from the loops of his pants. He drew the smooth leather through his fingers before looping it around Lindsay's shoulders. She giggled in delight when he drew it back and forth a few times before letting the ends drop, leaving it slung around the back of her neck. She smiled broadly up at him.

"You like that?" he asked, stepping back and resuming his swaying movements as his hands began to work on his button and fly.

"Oh yeah," she nodded her head enthusiastically and fingered the ends of his discarded belt. "That's so hot, baby. Very sexy."

Danny felt his cheeks flush with warmth at her compliment. He hooked his fingers into the waistband of his pants and began push them slowly down his hips, his eyes fixed on Lindsay as he did so. She ran her tongue absently over her lips, now swollen from having been gnawed at during the first part of his performance.

"Turn around, Danny," she said, her voice throaty and rough from desire. He paused in his movements and cocked his head to the side at her request. She visibly blushed, apparently caught off guard by her own boldness. "I mean… I-I just…"

Danny arched an eyebrow in amusement. "You wanna check out my ass?" he teased. "Is that it?" She shrugged her shoulders and tilted her head downward, peering up at him through fluttering lashes. He had to struggle to suppress the groan of longing that ached to be let out; she knew how much he loved it when she played coy like that. He was absolute putty in her hands when she looked at him that way. He reached out and ran a loving finger over the swell of her cheek. "Your wish is my command," he murmured softly before he did as requested and turned his back to her, picking up where he'd left off.

Lindsay leaned forward in anticipation as Danny shimmied his pants down his hips. Her breath hitched in her throat and the knot of tension in her abdomen tightened immeasurably when she realized that, after his shower, Danny hadn't bothered to put on any underwear beneath his uniform. The straps from his athletic supporter framed his tight, round cheeks perfectly. She had always had a thing for his butt… even when she'd first arrived in New York and he was nothing more than her infuriating coworker, she'd caught herself stealing sneaky peaks at his derriere whenever the opportunity presented itself. She just couldn't help herself and to be fair, the jeans he'd worn back then had done nothing to dissuade her voyeurism. The night they'd finally slept together for the first time she'd let her hands explore his entire body, but found herself dwelling on his ass. Even now, years later, she never tired of the way his firm flesh felt in the palm of her hand.

She sighed contentedly once Danny had kicked off his pants and peeled his stirrups and socks from his feet. He straightened up and turned to face her wearing nothing but his athletic supporter and baseball cap. Suddenly, Lindsay couldn't take it any more. "Baby, come here," she pleaded, offering her hand to him. "Please?"

He took her hand and closed the distance between them. With his other hand he ran his fingers through Lindsay's auburn hair before sliding a finger beneath her chin and tilting her face so he could capture her lips in a sensual kiss that quickly had them both panting for air.

Lindsay rested her forehead against Danny's chest while she struggled to catch her breath. His fingers tangled in her hair and she slid her hands around to his backside, giving his cheeks a firm squeeze.

"Hey! Easy on the goods there, babe," Danny chuckled and Lindsay lifted her face to gaze up at her husband. He smiled down at her while his fingers massaged her scalp. "You enjoy yourself?"

"Mmm… I kinda wish I had a handful of dollar bills right about now," she teased before pressing a lingering kiss to his stomach. "That was so wonderful, Danny. Thank you, baby."

"You're welcome, sweetheart," he murmured. "I love you."

"I love you too," Lindsay replied. She moved her hands, slipping her fingers into the waistband of his jock strap, and began to tug it from his hips. Her lips explored the newly exposed skin below his belly button while her hands freed him from his restrictive garment. Beneath his protective cup he was semi-erect and she wrapped her fingers around his manhood and began to stroke him with one hand while the other slipped down to cup his balls. She squeezed them and tugged gently, earning a groan of pleasure from Danny, whose hands had tightened into fists in her hair.

"Baby, please…" he sighed as her lips caressed the delicate skin at the juncture of his hip and thigh. His member throbbed in her hand and she pulled back to smile up at him before parting her lips and closing them over the tip of his penis. "Jesus!" he moaned when her mouth tightened around his member and she started to suck on his head while her hand pumped his shaft.

She raised her gaze to his face, her stomach twisting with arousal at the look of pure bliss on his features. His eyes were closed and his lips were parted slightly, his breath becoming more and more ragged as he grew harder from her loving touches. She removed him from her mouth and ran her tongue along the underside of his shaft before she moved her hands to his hips and smiled up at him. He took in a shuddering breath before he blinked his eyes open and glanced down at her, a lopsided grin on his face.

"Why'd you stop?" he panted. "I was enjoying that."

Lindsay chuckled before she scootched backward on the bed, pulling off her t-shirt as she did so. "Because I'm being selfish," she explained, reaching behind her to unfasten her bra. "I can't wait anymore. I want you. Now."

The grin on Danny's face broadened to a full-fledged smile, his blue eyes darkening to a deep cerulean. "Oh yeah?" he asked, kneeling on the edge of the bed and crawling toward her. He straddled her thighs, slipping his fingers beneath her bra straps and pulling it from her body, tossing it over his shoulder. He grabbed the brim of his baseball cap and turned it around on his head, all the while gazing adoringly down at her breasts. "I think I can manage that."

He took hold of her shoulders, gently pushing her back so she was resting comfortably against the pillows. A sigh escaped Lindsay's lips when Danny bent to trace his tongue around the edge of the dusky circle of her nipple. Her fingers grasped at his shoulders and she arched her back as he flicked his tongue again and again over her sensitive nub until it had tightened into a hard peak. Sealing his mouth over her breast, he kissed and sucked and it wasn't long before he had Lindsay panting and whimpering beneath him. He turned his attention to the other breast, giving it the same loving treatment while his hands slowly explored her upper body.

"Oh, Danny," Lindsay breathed, her eyelids fluttering closed. "Honey, that feels so good."

Danny continued to lavish her breasts with kisses while with one hand he flicked open the fly of her shorts and he slipped his fingers inside. He pressed against the crotch of her panties and Lindsay gasped in response, once again biting at her lower lip. She placed her hands on his knees, sliding her palms encouragingly up and down his thighs as Danny kissed a steamy path up her neck.

He pushed aside her panties and slid his fingers along her slit, his thumb rubbing against her clit while one digit circled the entrance to her core. He could already feel her fluttering at his touch and he pressed his lips to her ear. "You ready for me, Linds?" he murmured.

"Yes… Danny, yes," she whispered in response. "Please."

Pushing himself up onto his knees, Danny shifted so he was kneeling on the bed beside his wife. He helped her out of her shorts and panties before he pulled her up, positioning her so she was straddling his thighs. He supported her with his hands cupping her backside and waited while she guided his cock to her entrance. With mutual sighs of pleasure she sank down onto him, encasing him within her warm, inviting centre. He gave her a moment to adjust before he tilted his hips, slowly pushing further into her as she pressed down on him.

Her hands wound around his shoulders and their lips met in a hungry kiss, their tongues dueling as their bodies moved together. Lindsay bounced on Danny's lap while he thrust up into her at an ever-quickening pace.

"Oh, God!" Lindsay panted against his lips. "Shit, baby! Oh, that feels so good!"

"Yeah?" Danny asked. "You close?"

"So… so close," she replied. "Mmm… baby, slow down. I don't want to come yet."

Recapturing her lips with his, Danny stilled his movements, allowing Lindsay to set the rhythm. While her tongue languidly explored his mouth, she rocked her hips slowly against his, drawing him deeper into her body with each downward movement. She began to squeeze her inner walls around him, making herself tighter and causing Danny to release a moan of desperate longing as she brought him closer to the edge.

"Linds… Lindsay…" he pleaded through gritted teeth as she continued to torture him with her slow, methodical lovemaking. "Baby, I don't know how much longer I can hold on."

"Just… mmm… just a little more," she replied, shifting slightly on his lap and beginning to speed up her pace. Danny met her thrust for thrust and soon her breaths were coming in little, panting gasps as she finally allowed herself to let go.

"Danny! Oh God!"

As she cried out, her inner walls began to tremble and she buried her face in his shoulder, her body shuddering as the first wave of her orgasm hit her. Danny held her tightly as she writhed in his arms, the sporadic fluttering of her core soon causing the tight knot in his groin to explode. His toes curled and ripples of intense pleasure shot through his body.

They held one another until they'd regained their composure, Lindsay whispering loving words in Danny's ear while his hands gently caressed up and down the length of her spine.

"I love you so much," she murmured. Pulling back, she cupped his face in her hands and smiled at him. "Thank you so much for tonight, baby."

Danny grinned at her, raising his hand to swipe a stray tendril from her forehead. "So the uniform's a keeper?"

"Definitely," she replied, removing his ball cap from his head. She fingered the brim and grinned at him before tossing it across the room and pressing a kiss to the tip of his nose. "I have dreamed about that for a long, long time… but what you did tonight? That was so much better than I ever imagined."

"You dreamed about having a guy in a baseball uniform dance for you?" Danny teased, laughing when Lindsay narrowed her eyes at him.

"No," she informed him, giving his shoulder a playful shove. "I just… I never got to go out with the star athlete, you know?" she explained, averting her gaze and toying with his dog tags. She glanced shyly up at him. "And you… well, you _were_ that guy; the one that all the girls wanted to be with. And I… I love that you made that happen for me."

Danny smiled at his wife, then shook his head. "I think you're giving me more credit than I deserve," he said. "I was just the shortstop. I wasn't the star of the team by a long-shot, and…"

"Shh… don't ruin it for me," Lindsay giggled, pressing a silencing finger to his lips. "You're a star to me. And you were a star out there today, Danny. I am so proud of you. And I love that you wanted to do this for me."

Danny kissed her finger before pushing it aside and pecking her on the lips. Lindsay climbed off his lap and soon they were spooned up together under the covers. She sighed in contentment, lightly running her fingers along Danny's arm, wrapped tightly around her. He nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck, murmuring tender words in her ear until his voice trailed off, his breathing becoming slower and deeper as he drifted off to sleep.

Being careful not to disturb him, Lindsay turned her face and pressed a kiss to his forehead before snuggling down into her pillow. She smiled and closed her eyes as the events of the day washed over her; from the game itself to Danny's eventual fulfillment of her long-standing fantasy. She was so proud of him – of them, actually. They'd been dealt an unfair hand when Danny had been shot. Many people in their situation might have given up, counted their blessings that he was still alive and accepted their fate. Initially, Danny had been in danger of going down that route, but Lindsay was too stubborn and loved him too much to let him give up on himself.

She knew that if he wasn't meant to walk again, they would have learned to live with it eventually. But they'd both come to believe in that 10 percent chance. They'd grabbed onto that tiny sliver of hope and held on for dear life until what had once seemed like an impossible dream turned into a remote possibility, and finally it became their reality.

For Lindsay, the ball game today had cemented her belief that it was all behind them now. Danny's initial protests to playing back when she'd first suggested it had shown her that he still had his reservations. Yes, he had to be cautious – more so than most other men his age. But being able to see him in his element, the joy on his face at doing something that he'd convinced himself he would never do again… that was something truly special. All of their combined heartache and pain during his recovery was worth it for those small moments of triumph.

Her musings were interrupted as Danny mumbled something unintelligible in his sleep and rolled over onto his front, burying his face in his pillow and snoring softly. Lindsay couldn't help but chuckle to herself as she turned over in bed and watched him sleep. She ran her hand lightly down his spine, lifting the covers and taking a quick, appreciative peek at his backside before drawing the blankets up over his back so he wouldn't get cold in the night.

Cuddling closer to him, she pressed a kiss to his shoulder and closed her eyes. With her last waking thought, she wondered how much convincing it would take to get Danny back into his uniform…

The End

* * *

><p><strong>I'm hoping this chapter made up for the dry spell you've all been suffering through in my stories of late. If you haven't read my very first M-rated story <strong>_**Cheer Up Danny**_** then I'm going to insert a shameless plug here and recommend that you do so now, as that will explain the cheerleader references in this chapter. ;)**

**I didn't have much time to edit this chapter, as it's getting late and I wanted to post it before I passed out on the couch. I hope it makes sense and that there aren't too many glaring errors in spelling/grammar. Please, be gentle!**

**Your reviews and comments brighten my day, so please feel free to drop me a line if you feel so inclined. And, as always, thanks for reading!**

***rhymes***


End file.
